Ahmed Abusaleeq spent the first 19 years of his life on the Gaza Strip.
"Seeing what you sort of see on TV today happening in Gaza is a traumatic experience for everyone. And at the time, being a child feeling you know helpless and having to always flee from a house to another neighbour's house because of bombing," Ahmed told Newshub.
In 2019 he arrived in New Zealand with seven of his sisters and two of his brothers.
"My father's always had connections in New Zealand," said Ahmed.
Twenty-four-year-old Ahmed is studying medicine in Wellington.
"There are quite a lot of reasons why I've chosen to study medicine. And the fact that I've spent, you know, 19 years in Gaza, I think it's shaped the way that I saw how my future was going to look like. And, you know, with coming to New Zealand, it sort of gave me hope that I could you know, be a doctor."
While Ahmed has settled well into life in New Zealand, his mother, seven-year-old brother and two half-sisters are still in Gaza.
Ahmed hasn't spoken to his mother for about three weeks ago because of limited internet connections and has no idea if she is alive or dead.
He said his mother has been fleeing from house to house and then to Rafah. But he believes she's evacuated to central or northern Gaza.
Ahmed applied for a visitor visa for his mother to come to New Zealand. It was declined.
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Immigration New Zealand told Ahmed in the application there was "limited evidence provided to show any financial, social or family ties" to Ahmed's mother's home country.
"I think what they're trying to say is that, you know, you don't own houses in Gaza - you're not going to go back because it's a conflict zone," he told Newshub.
"The question is why would she want to go back to Gaza? Why can't this Government create new visa pathways? So there's seven children of my mum's living in New Zealand who have ties to her. I think that's more than enough of a reason to have the visa application approved."
Immigration New Zealand couldn't comment on this case because they wanted Ahmed's mother to sign a privacy waiver but that is difficult given she can't be contacted.
Newshub asked the Government if it will be introducing humanitarian visas for people in Gaza with family links to New Zealand.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said: "While there is no special visa, New Zealanders with family in Gaza can apply for a visitor visa for them."
She goes on to say that "Immigration New Zealand is prioritising requests for Palestinians".
World Vision said it sent a letter to the Immigration Minister in February requesting the Government establish an emergency humanitarian pathway for Palestinians and assist with evacuation and resettlement assistance.
The charity said it has had no response from the Government.
"We believe there are up to 400 Palestinians in New Zealand who are desperate to bring their family members to safety in New Zealand," said World Vision New Zealand's head of advocacy and justice, Rebekah Armstrong.
"We appreciate that a visa for New Zealand is not an exit visa from Gaza which is why if the Government decides to issue humanitarian visas according to a specific criteria, they should also undertake to negotiate at a diplomatic level for people to exit the country and be evacuated to New Zealand where they will be provided with resettlement assistance."
Palestinian Special Category Visa Campaign spokesperson, Katrina Mitchell-Kouttab said: "We, along with broader community groups like the Arab Association, are urgently calling on the New Zealand Government to implement a special visa program for Gazans with family ties here, similar to what was previously extended to Ukrainians and Afghans.
"Surviving hour by hour with the threat of death at any given moment, being shot or starving to death, is inhuman and unacceptable."
Palestinian New Zealander Nael Abusaleh lives in Hamilton with his wife and five children. His mother lives in Gaza.
Nael's mother arrived in New Zealand on a visitor visa last year. The visa only allowed her to stay for six months.
"The most important thing that she really wanted is just to connect with us, or reconnect. Stay with where the children go to their school. Especially the youngest, you know, just see how the school looks like," Nael told Newshub.
After her six months were over, Nael's mother went back to Gaza just before the conflict started.
Her visa is a multiple entry visa so it is still valid and she can come back to New Zealand. However the issue is she doesn't have permission to cross the border out of Gaza.
"She has actually moved on between three camps. For a lady who is almost 70, that's very hard," said Nael.
"At this moment I'm unable to reach her. The communications or the telecommunications are being cut - no phones. I've been trying with others actually who can go and visit and check on her. It is very difficult for someone to go and risk his life to move between regions."
Nael has been in constant contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to see if it can help evacuate his mother. He's also offered to foot the bill.
MFAT said it's difficult to get permission from those who control the border.
It said there are some exceptions when it comes to supporting those in Gaza who are immediate family members of New Zealand citizens. But that's only for spouses and children aged under 24. That means the New Zealand Government does not consider Nael's mother to be an immediate family member.
"I just emailed and I said 'look I'm her only son. She was here before, all the security checks were done, so please reconsider'."
MFAT told Nael his mother still doesn't meet the criteria.
Nael's wife's parents also live in Gaza. His wife has not seen them for 18 years.
Palestinian New Zealand Mohammad Dahlan has managed to get his twin teenage sons out of Gaza and into Egypt.
"What is going on in Gaza is a crisis that requires a different approach," Dahlan said.
He said the Government needs to implement ways to get Palestinians with family in New Zealand out of Gaza and once they are here help resettle them with a special visa.
"We need to understand what the Government is willing to offer them if they arrive in New Zealand - education, medical care, a settlement programme? We need to understand this visa is not a temporary one until the crisis ends and then they will deport them back to Gaza," said Dahlan.
Nael is staying positive he will be reunited with his mother and is hoping to work with the Government on a solution to get her out of Gaza.
"Try to take this case from the New Zealand perspective - who we are, OK. From our cause, from the history of advocating for human rights. Take it from that perspective and I think we will reach a good outcome," said Nael.
Ahmed has set up a Givealittle page to raise funds to evacuate his mother and young siblings from Gaza.
